Satasha gasped and opened her eyes widely. She saw that she was lying on a soft cotton bed in a light breezy room. She looked around and saw that the walls was made of grey blocks and the room only contained bed and a cabinet. There was only a glass door leading to a balcony and it was opened allowing the cool summer breeze to enter, there were no widows only the glass door and the thick brown wood door. The light pink curtains danced with the wind reaching out her bed as if they were inventing her to come and enjoy the summer breeze. Satasha tried to sit down but she felt pain surging threw her, she looked at her chest and saw it was wrapped in a cloth. She peaked and saw the huge scar on her chest, it began from her right belly side till her left side of her chest. She had no memory of what had happened or where she is, she took the dress robe that was near her and wore it with difficulty then stood up and walked toward the wooden door, She opened it and saw that she was in a huge building with many rooms. The corridor that ended with her room had many doors ahead of hers. She walked down toward the other end of the corridor and saw a fence, she concluded that she was in the second floor on this huge building. She walked toward the fence and looked down to the first floor noticing many women and men walking in the square hall, or dancing , or drinking and giggling. She looked up and saw another floor and a carved ceiling. In the corner of the ceiling there were nude women crouching down posing their body and in the middle of the ceiling there was a painting of a lady lying nude on her belly on the floor covered with nothing but her curly hair and a transient yellow shawl. Satasha knew she was in a brothel but she didn't know how she got here. She walked in the corridor toward the stairs, The corridor was a bit narrow and squared as well as the rest of this building, the stairs was from two levels with wide triangular stop in the middle. The one that led to the upstairs was spiral but the one that led to the ground floor was ' X ' shaped. Satasha ascended toward the third floor. Unlike the second one it wasn't filled with sub-corridors with small rooms but it had three large rooms. She looked around and didn't know what room she is going to first, then she decided to go toward the first one on the right. She walked toward the wooden door and stood facing it once she arrived, she didn't know if she's allowed here or she must knock and enter. She took a deep breath and knocked the door gently, she felt nervous about this so she decided to leave for the best. Once she turned around the door opened and there stood a tall handsome man wearing a robe that revealed his chest, his muscled belly and covered the rest.
The man had short silky dark green hair with small piercing eyes and sharp chin. His eyes were dark emeralds with a strikes of yellow blazed within, he had soft narrow lips. He looked like a peacock bragging about his beauty.
He leaned on the doorframe asking "Are you the one that was sent to me?"
His voice was deep with a luring tone in it that makes his prey paralyzed once they hear it.
Satasha looked rather uncomfortable about this replying " No!, I was just trying to look for someone and I thought she might be here"
"What a shame" said the man "I thought there is finally someone worth spending my money on, What is your name beautiful!"
Satasha hesitated then answered "Satasha and you?!"
The man smiled and stepped closer. He gazed playfully at her " You don't know who am I?"
Satasha annoyed "I didn't knew my name months ago so I apologize for not knowing yours!"
The man smiled and pushed his hair from his face, she saw how wide his forehead is. He said "How interesting!, I am lord Keno, Wang Keno!"
Satasha smiled faintly "Pleasured to meet you my lord!, I beg your pardon but I must leave now!"
Keno smirked "Why don't you come in so we can have a little chat, you seem to be a very interesting person l will be entertained to spend time with you!"
Satasha glared discomfortingly at him "I apologize but I must refuse. You see I am not the kind that spend time with a total stranger just to chat with, I have other things to do!"
Keno looked insulted at her, he threatened with a smirk "Then I am afraid that I will make sure you will be kicked out of this place if you didn't join me!"
Satasha sarcastically "I am sorry to disappoint you but I don't even work here, your threats won't work on me My lord(she emphasised)"
She bowed a little and gave him disgusted look before turning around and walked away toward the stairs, Keno looked offended at her but with abit of admiration.
Satasha descended to the ground floor and saw how everyone was having fun, she walked past a drunk men toward the main door. The first floor had lot of posing nude female sculptures and two small fountains with a nude female pouring water to the fountain from her jar, she walked toward the big main wooded door and stood looking at how tall it is once she reached it.
"Hey kiddo" a women called her "Where are you going?"
Satasha turned around and saw a beautiful burnet woman with short silky hair and big black eyes standing infront her. Her lips was a bit red and full and her jaws were sharp. Satasha "I was looking for someone to tell me where I am and how I got here, I didn't find anyone so I've decided to go outside and just ask a random person where am I?!"
The woman "Well lucky for you I am here. Come with me I will tell you everything!"
The woman walked away and Satasha followed her. They walked past the stairs toward the garden that was outside, Satasha saw that it was more quieter than the inside but it had few people in it. The garden was beautiful with sculptures and a big fountain in the middle. The woman sat on a bench then Satasha sat next to her.
The woman "Well first things first I am Aiva and I am the one who makes sure everything is in ordered here, and you are?!"
Satasha "My name is Satasha and I don't know how I got here!"
Aiva kindly "Well a week ago a man came here carrying you in his cart. He sold you to us even though you were in a bad shape. You were all soaked and covered with your own blood, what had happened to you?, How are you feeling?!"
Satasha confused "I am not a slave to be sold nor a whore, why did you accept me here and took care of someone who was in that shape?!"
Aiva "Trust me I have asked the same question to my lady but she said that you looked like her friend and thought you are related to her"
Satasha confusedly "A Friend?! Where am I exactly?!"
Aiva "You are in Ishtar's temple in Babylon"
"Babylon?!" Satasha exclaimed
"Babylon!" Repeated Aiva
Satasha confusedly "How on earth I went from there to here?!, And Ishtar?!, I thought that was a..."
Satasha fell silent, she was processing what had happened to her and a sharp headache stroke her. She started to remember everything about what had happened that night, how she killed everyone and killed Hercules then jumped out of the balcony. She remembered making a port gate and it ended up with her clashing the water surface then losing consciousness. The pain was unbearable she heard voices calling her to return home. She fell on her knees crouching in pain while covering her ears with her hands. She was groaning in pain and saying "Please don't!, Stop please!"
Aiva sat near her alarmed "Hey kid, what is the matter?!" She looked at one of the girls and ordered "Get lady Ishtar, Now!" And the girl rushed inside to get her.
Satasha was resisting the voice and bearing the pain so she won't hurt anyone else, she started to lose her control and made the ground tremble with her powers, the sky began to be cloudy and soon the cool summer day turned to cloudy snowy day. Aiva looked around and at Satasha not knowing what to do, she called Satasha gently "Hey kid please calm down and tell me what is wrong?!"
Satasha whined and wept because of the pain at the memories of her murdering Tina and the others.
"I killed them, I am sorry I didn't want to but I killed them all!. What have I done?!" Winced Satasha .
The earth and sky rumbled with Satasha's pain, a circle of wind merged from her shoving everything that stood near her and suffocating the people around her. She had no control of what she was doing.
The girl that went running to the third floor were Ishtar's room was. She knocked the middle door room and heard the permission.
"What brings you here while I am having discussion with lord Keno?" Demanded Ishtar
The girl panting "Forgive me for my rudeness but the new girl lost control and now she is making the ground and sky rumble!"
Both Keno and Ishtar looked amazed.
The building started to rumble as well, Ishtar looked at the falling dust from the ceiling astonishingly "Fascinating!"
She looked at Keno and said "Forgive me but I have to go and contain her before making my precious house fall apart!"
Keno smirked "I will be going with you. This new girl is interesting enough to interrupt our conversation!"
Ishtar smiled gently and they all went to where Satasha was.
Satasha felt her surroundings fading as if she was floating into abyss of darkness and guilt. She tried to resist the temptation of giving in to the darkness just to relief the agony that she felt, crouching and wincing from pain that she was having. The voices inside her head of the people last words they spoke to her before she killed them, she cried for forgiveness but in vain, her redemption won't be accepted by them nor her cries would be heard.
Ishtar and Keno arrived to the garden and saw Satasha crouched down wincing, crying from pain and a large grey wind surrounded her keeping everyone off her. The sky was thundering heavily and the ground was rumbling angrily.
Keno looked at this scene mesmerized by the beauty of her powers and greedy to have it "Outstanding!" He thought.
Ishtar walked closer to the grey windy circle and tried to penetrate it but it didn't work. Ishtar felt suffocated by the negative aura that surrounded her, she waved her arm and produced a shield to protect her while walking through the windy circle. She managed to get in and saw Satasha crying and begging "Please stop!, Stop I cannot do this anymore!"
Ishtar raised her arm low, her palm facing Satasha trying to penetrate her mind and to calm her down. Satasha felt Ishtar's force that was trying to control her, she looked at her and rose up trying to kill Ishtar with a dagger that she emerged from her powers. Ishtar stepped back and avoided the attack, she looked at Satasha and saw that her hair turned into white and her eyes were pitched black, the tears that came out from her eyes weren't tears but blood, her eyes were bleeding. The wind circle broke and everyone looked at how frightening Satasha was, everyone felt afraid from her powers except Keno he was greedy to see her full potentials.
Satasha stroke Ishtar again and Ishtar avoided it, she didn't want to hurt her or fight back, she saw how damaged Satasha was and wanted to help her. Satasha looked at Ishtar fearing if she didn't kill her she might want to enslave her as Zeus did.
Ishtar inquired "Who are you kid?, How do you have such power?"
Satasha was sobbing, she wanted to answer but she felt so suffocated and unable to breathe. She dropped the dagger and it vanished, she held her throat and felt dizzy, she looked at Ishtar and said with effort "Help me please!, kill me if you must!" She fell on her knees both exhausted and agonized. Satasha was breathing heavily and painfully, she looked up at the sky and closed her eyes. The rumbling and thunder stopped then the sky turned back to as it was. Satasha's hair and eyes turned back to normal and then she fell paralyzed with pain on the ground. She was still resisting the voices and calls that drags her down to the abyss. Ishtar walked toward her and sat next to her, she placed her hand on her head and made a connection with Satasha's mind. Ishtar felt and saw everything Satasha was feeling and seeing. Keno walked toward them and stood looking at how pale Satasha was,
He asked "Is she possessed by something?!"
Ishtar looked at her with pity "I am afraid so. This little bird had been through hell, she must be treated well to regain what is hers from the person who to took it"
Keno staring at Satasha, he was both curious to know more and empathized with her "She is in pain and she looks like a dying body. Can you heal her?"
Ishtar caressed her head "I am afraid that I cannot!" She looked at the soldier that was standing behind them ordering "Untar my love take her to her room, and you Aiva keep her company and if anything happened call for me"
They both nodded and did as she commanded. Satasha looked at Ishtar while Untar was carrying her and saw the pity look that she was giving her, she revolted this look and closed her eyes.
When she opened them after a while she was laying on the bed again, she looked around and saw Keno sitting next to her, she rolled her eyes "What are you doing here?!"
She paused a bit remembering his status and added "My lord"
Keno giggled "Well that was a long pause, what you forgot that I was a lord or you were trying to remember my name and failed to do so, so you added my lord at the end?"
Satasha sighed "You speak alot my lord, I am tired, do you have anything to say before I go back to sleep?"
Keno smiled "I have only questions for you"
Satasha humphed and sat on the bed "Ask me then!"
Keno "Who are you really?!"
Satasha "As I answered before I am Satasha"
Keno curiously "No, you got me wrong!. What are you exactly?"
Satasha looked at him for a second, she didn't know the answer of this question because she herself doesn't know who or what she is.
Satasha "I have absolutely no idea!"
Keno narrowed his eyes and asked "Then from where you got this power?, from your mother's or father's side"
Satasha again was clueless "No idea!"
Keno leaned back on the chair "Then what do you know about yourself?"
Satasha looked at the window, she remembered what she had done to people especially to those who saved her from Zeus answering "I am a puppet, an assassin, an ungrateful worthless being that do nothing but spill blood of many people and those who loved her, I am the person who killed her friends and ran away from her family, from everything. That is what I remember about myself and know!"
She wiped the tears that was falling from her eyes and looked at Keno again "I saw how you were looking at me, you are like the rest of them, you want my power or use it for your own benefits, I must apologize but someone already made me his puppet and his curse won't break off easily!, trust me I tried!"
Keno looked both curiously and serious at her.
He was trying to read her mind but Satasha wouldn't allow him. She asked "Why are you the one who is interrogating me?, does Ishtar trust you that much or you are here out of curiosity?!"
Keno smirked "A bit of both. You are really interesting person Satasha, you can control your powers perfectly to prevent me from reading your mind, you don't seem like someone who just lost her control. Do you mind if I ask what is your story again?, I want to know what to report!"
Satasha hesitating "And why shall I trust you with my story?, maybe you are a spy or your intentions are not as pure as I think!"
Keno smiled "Trust me I am an honest person, if I want to harm you, I would have done it long ago, and if I want to use you for my own benefits, I would simply tell you, I am merely a curious man who is interested in you"
Satasha looked suspiciously at him "Fine!, my name is Satasha I was a noble lady who was sold out to Zeus and was made an assassin to serve him and his benefits!, I escaped and now I am here being interrogated by you!"
Keno" Your story has loads of plot holes. How can we trust that you aren't some mercenary that was sent to kill me or lady Ishtar?, or a spy for someone?. You only seem suspicious person with enormous power, what do you have in your defense?"
Satasha "I don't have anything!. If lady Ishtar said my presence isn't welcomed, I will leave and none of you will see me again. I am after all a banished person from all my titles and wealth, and I only bring misery and death to those who surround me!"
Keno sarcastically "Well aren't you a merry kid, how old are you?"
Satasha thought for a bit "Sixteen?, maybe seventeen, I have no idea?. Who old do I look?"
Keno smirked "Seventeen maybe. You are so messed up, if it's true that you lost your memories or you are an abused person, maybe you should leave the past as you left your titles and your abuser behind you and never look back. You should live the life you deserve unbounded by anyone or anything! "
Satasha looked at him and saw that she was mistaken, he isn't that arrogant he seems now wiser and calmer then few hours ago. She smiled at him "I will try, thank you for the advice Lord Keno!"
Keno smiled "Call me Keno, mister handsome or as everyone else calls me evergreen!"
Satasha thought for a minute then said "Then I will call you Lizard" she giggled
Keno smiled and arched his brows "If you call me lizard then I will call you Misery, agreed?!"
Satasha laugh "Agreed!"
Keno smirked "You look prettier when you smile. Don't make your misery erase this from you!"
Satasha smiled faintly "I will try to follow your advice, thank you really!"
She reached her hand to shake his, he shook it. He said "Nice chat Misery!"
Satasha "You too Lizard!"
Keno got up and walked out of the room. As soon as he closed the door her smile vanished and turned to serious gaze, she got up from the bed looking around for a shoes to wear, she went to the cupboard and opened it. She found two pair of shoes and two dresses with one cloak, she quickly wore one of the dresses and the cloak then wore the shoes and went to the balcony looking around for a way to escape. She saw that she was a one floor away from the ground so if she jumped it will hurt abit but she will heal fast. She stepped on the fence and jumped falling on the grass below, the fall hurt her leg she lay abit allowing it to heal then she got up immediately walking away from the temple, the pain was vanishing as she walked toward the stairs. She saw that she has along way down as the stairs was long and the temple was up in a hill, she looked around and put the hood on. She descended fast holding the dress from the front so she won't fall, it took a while to reach the final steps. She saw that infront her lay a long street of shops with crowded people. It seemed as a famous market that everyone attend then go to the temple for a visit afterward. She stepped forward but someone addressed her "Young lady, Wait!"
Satasha turned around and saw that big bald muscular man that was looming around Ishtar descending from the stairs. She remembered that Ishtar called him 'Untar'.
She said "Untar?"
Untar "You may not leave without the permission of her grace, she wants to meet you right now!"
Satasha "Forgive me if I was abit rude but I cannot stay here, I cannot stay anywhere I must leave!"
Untar "You will leave without even showing your gratitude toward her kindness?, she did nothing to be that disrespected but if you wishes to leave then ask her permission otherwise, I will have to use violence to drag you up there and teach you some manners too!"
Satasha "Trust me when I say you don't want to provoke that side of me, I will come with you just to show my gratitude for her kindness then I will leave, agreed?"
Untar "I can do no agreement in her graceful behalf, but I can assure you none of us here want to harm you in anyway. Follow me please!"
He stood aside and stretched his arm toward the stairs gesturing her to go up first.
Satasha " What you think if I walked behind you I will get tricky and slip away from your reach?!"
Untar " Perhaps! My job requirement is to always be paranoid and have trust issues for everyone and everything but my master !"
Satasha ascended up stairs first then Untar followed. She asked " Is Untar your name or it is only a title of your place here?"
Untar " It's a title and my name ! We abandon our name when we sign up for this job !"
Satasha " So what is your real name ?"
Untar " I forgot it long ago ! It's insulting to be called by it as if I was disowned from my place and title!"
Satasha " I apologize! But when you said we you mean that you are not the first Untar to serve Lady Ishtar?!"
Untar " No ! I have served her since ever ! The Untar is a name addressed to the servants of 'An' ! We serve our master from the day they got their place as one of the Gods !"
Satasha confusedly " Gods?!"
Untar " You see people here think that she is a goddess like An Sin and her twin brother Utu! They think that she is a goddess with her powers they come here seeking various of thing especially to repair their love life !"
Satasha " Interesting! I should have studied history well when I had a chance !"
Untar " History?!"
Satasha immediately " Why there are so many stairs ?! It takes forever to reach the top!"
Untar smirked and said " Have patience! This is the purpose of the stairs to test your patience!"
They ascended up stairs for six minutes before reaching the top . When they reached the temple Satasha caught her breaths and continued ascending to Ishtar's room. It was the middle one in the third floor. Untar knocked the door twice before entering. Satasha followed him , when she entered she saw Aiva , Keno and Ishtar sitting in the middle of the room. Ishtar's room was like a one floor house . It had a place to sit , bathroom in the right corner and on the left her sleeping space which was covered with white curtains to ensure it's separated from the rest of the room . The room had lot of windows and a door that lead to a bigger balcony facing the market. Untar took her cloak and she walked to where they were sitting.
Ishtar " Sit" she waved her hand toward the seat opposite her . She sat there facing the three of them . Aiva was on her left and Keno was on the right of Ishtar.
Ishtar " I see that the dress fitted you perfectly!"
Satasha " Yes thank you for that! I wanted to thank you for helping me I am grateful!"
Ishtar " I did nothing! I only did what I was supposed to! Now tell me who , what and why ?!"
Satasha " Pardon ?!"
Aiva" Her grace want to hear your story!"
Satasha " I am afraid it would be short ! Besides I have already told lord Keno"
Ishtar " I know you told him only half of the truth! I want to hear the full story!"
Satasha " I apologize but I cannot say who I am !"
Ishtar " I have tried to read your mind and search in your memories but you stopped me from doing so ! I want to know who am I harboring in my house !"
Satasha was uncomfortable by this she held her dress tightly and said " Are you going to take me as a prisoner if I tell you the truth? Or you will try to use me for your own good if you know ?!"
Ishtar calmly " It depends! I cannot answer for sure not until I hear everything!"
Satasha " Will I have my freedom if you know ?! I don't want to be enslaved again!"
Ishtar " No one here is a slave ! They all have the freedom that they deserve! They can go anytime they want but they want to stay here with their full will! Now speak don't fear anything we aren't abusers but more like a guiders that will lead your path to certainty !"
Satasha looked at everyone she loosened her grip and said" Okay ! My name is Satasha I am banished noble lady from some where far from reach ! I don't know how I got here and why I only remembered making a port gate after I jumped from the balcony trying to escape Zeus after I have killed loads of people including the one that took me in after I was banished and here I am sitting here talking to you about only the past year that I remember other than that I apologize to you because I don't remember anything! You see when I was with Zeus he entrapped my memories and bound them to pain ! I didn't even knew my name year ago that is me ! An assassin, a puppet, and an unknown! That is my story "
Aiva curiously " You said you are a banished noble , who is your father?!"
Satasha " I don't know ! But he was an important figure as my brother told me !"
Keno " Your real brother ? I thought you where banished!"
Satasha " He is the only one who cares for me ! He saved me from Zeus before he found me and took me back to Olympus "
Ishtar confusedly " I still don't get how you resemble Pandora ! Are you related to her ?!"
Satasha trying to remember who is Pandora, she shook her head minute later and said "I don't know ! "
Aiva " She really looks like she forgot who she is and everything! Poor kid! How cruel Zeus can be to do this to a child!"
Satasha interrupted " I am seventeen maybe!"
Keno smirked and said " So what will you do ? If you don't want her I will gladly take her in !"
Ishtar immediately " No ! You will definitely use her to reach your goal !"
Keno smiled and said " Ah I forgot that you know me well!"
Ishtar arched her brows and sighed . She looked at Satasha and said" Do you have a place to go to ?"
Satasha " No I don't!"
Ishtar " Then why you were trying to escape?"
Satasha " I had bad experiences with people I encountered with! Forgive me for saying this but I don't trust anyone!"
Ishtar looked at her for several minutes before saying " You can stay here as my apprentice! I will teach you how to control your powers and restoring your memories if you want and other things that you will be taught by time only if you stayed here and did everything I ask ! Don't worry I won't ask you to kill anyone only simple tasks as Aiva !"
Satasha confusedly " Forever?!"
Ishtar " No you have the freedom to leave when ever you want ! You can consider this as a job you do some tasks like delivering messages or negotiating with someone or spying to seek information if the enemy wants to start a war again and something like that ! "
Satasha hesitating " Can I think about it?!"
Ishtar " Sure ! My only terms if you accept is to never lie to me , never question my judgement, never seek a way to betray me and always seek my permission to do things !"
Satasha " Specify things!"
Ishtar " Like killing someone, leaving to any place , political things. In general before you make any dangerous movements ask my permission! Was I clear?!"
Satasha nodded.
Ishtar " Good you may leave now ! Aiva escort her and tell the maids to bring her something to eat !"
Avia " Understood!"
Aiva toured her around the temple showing her where the kitchen, bathhouse, the bedrooms, the meeting room that every tribe leader are gathered here to discuss politics because this place is a neutral land where no fighting, no war, no magic or powers are allowed to be used. They went last to the garden were Avia bed her goodbye so she can go back to her business. Satasha wondered there looking around and seeing it it empty from lovers now that it's getting dark. She reached the end of the garden where there lay a large curved fence of grey bricks that took two steps to reach. She saw there the view of the town that surrounded the temple and it was beautifully calming. Keno came behind her saying " Oi witch! What have you decided!"
He leaned his elbows on the fence looking at her waiting for his answer.
Satasha gazing at the view " I am still thinking!"
Keno smirked and said "If you want a new beginning where you can make true friends and learn to control your powers this place is it ! Everyone here has no place to go to but here you won't feel awkward or anything on the contrary they will welcome you with opened arms regardless of your past and deeds this place is the no judging place! It's wonderful!"
Satasha " Indeed! I am very fond of it but I am cursed with hurting everyone around me by my hands or others ! I fear that this os what will happen if I stayed!"
Keno snorted and mocked her saying " I am cursed ! I am miserable! Stop this and move on! You cannot stay were you left your old self before running away! Move on turn your life chapter to a new one where you set your own rules and live the life that you want! If here or anywhere face up what you have done and carry your burden strongly! Whine little and endure more that is how you can be happy and start new !"
Satasha looked at him " And this place provide that or give me the push to do so?"
Keno patted her shoulder and said " No! This place can protect you from people who seeks your power if they find about it ! You can start here as no one and none will know you if you chose to you can live normally here till you manage to control your powers then go to the world and scream facing your abusers ! You are still a child you need guidance from someone who is just and willing to offer you home don't refuse it !"
Satasha looked at him and thought of his words carefully. She thought for a minute then asked
" Do you think I can face my abuser? I feel like I cannot do that even if I wanted to !"
Keno warmly " You can do it and everything you want if you had the strength to do it and a very good plan with no holes in it ! If you want to take down someone in powerful position you have to gather all the evidence available and then expose them all! So yeah I believe you can do it if you have the will to be better more witter,wiser and powerful enough to control everything because if you have powers without wit your end will be soon! Remember always have plan and backup plan and plans for your backup plans!"
Satasha smiled and said " You really are wiser than the person you pretend to be! Thank you I really appreciate that you understand me !"
Keno smirked and said " Anytime you need understanding and no judgmental opinion you can come to my place !"
Satasha smiled brightly and said " I will thank you!"
Keno patted her back and said " No problem kid ! I must go back now I have no business here !"
Satasha confusedly " Go back where ? Don't you live here?!"
Keno laughed and said " No dummy! I live in the dragon tribe!"
Satasha surprisedly " You are from the dragon tribe! Cool!"
Keno " Yeah pretty cool place with loads of landscapes to peacefully meditate in ! You should pay it a visit someday!"
Satasha brightly " I sure will !"
Keno smiled and said " Then I hope when I come back here next time you will be here ! I really enjoyed talking to you and I think we are going to be amazing duo !"
Satasha giggled and said " Yeah I hope that too!"
He waved at her and then walked away from the garden. Satasha looked at him walking away then looked at the town view thinking about what will happen and how is everyone?. Is Mika alive?. Is her brother worried and looking for her or he is disappointed by her deems?. She leaned on the fence thinking about everything in its detail.
After half hour of thinking she got up and went straight to Ishtar's room where she knocked twice at the door and entering after hearing the permission to.
She saw Ishtar sitting in the middle of the room drinking red wine and looking at some scroll. Ishtar looked toward the door and said
" Ah ! Come dear and sit next to me !"
Satasha did as she told to.
Ishtar " So ! What is your decision?!"
Satasha looked hesitantly at her and said
" Can you help me break the curse that I have ? I don't want to be controlled by Zeus anymore!"
Ishtar looked seriously at her. She put down her glass of wine and said " I am afraid that your curse is not destructible by anyone! The bond can only break if you died or the one who casted it die ! This curse is indestructible by you ! If you killed Zeus or the one who casted it then you will die ! And I fear that you cannot die unless they kill you themselves that is what they cursed you with so they can assure that you have reached your full potentials then strip everything away from you including your life! I can only guide you on how to prevent them from controlling you and how to prevent them from taking your powers away but it's not a very pleasant thing to be taught! You will suffer and your body will be weakened by the resistance then you cannot produce any spell or do anything with your powers for days depending on your endurability ! Do you understand?"
Satasha took a minute of thinking then nodded approvingly.
Ishtar " So will you stay here and be my apprentice or leave fighting your life storms?"
Satasha looked determinedly at her and said
" I want to stay and gain experience from you if you allowed me to !"
Ishtar smiled warmly and caressed her hair then pinched her cheek while saying " You have my full approval! Yo such a cute little bean! I will make a fine woman out of you that everyone wish to have ! Adorable kiddo! Now go to the bathhouse clean yourself, dress nicely always and get enough sleep because tomorrow you begin as my new apprentice be prepared!"
Satasha smiled brightly and said " Thank you for your kindness! I will do as you have instructed and I will try to never disappoint you!"
Ishtar laughed and said " Good! Now go I have work to do!"
Satasha got up bowed then went out of the room feeling oddly happy and fond by Ishtar's aura. She did as Ishtar instructed then went to her room and slept peacefully.
In the next day she woke up at the sound of the bell that was ringing in the corridor. She looked around trying to comprehend where she is and what had happened. Even after several months since she was rescued she still needed to sit few minutes reminding herself who she is and where she is because she kept feeling confused about everything. She then got up, got dressed, washed her face and teeth then went out of the room toward the square corridor. She looked around trying to figure out what to do then she heard Aiva saying
" Kiddo ! I heard from lady Ishtar that you had decided to stay here! I am glad that you did! You must be hungry follow me!"
Satasha smiled awkwardly and followed her. They went to the first floor toward the kitchen where everyone was heading. Once they entered everyone welcomed Satasha the new member of this family as they told her. They were very kind with her offered their help, food, and advice if she needed. She thanked them all and sat eating her breakfast happily surrounded by kind women. After the breakfast she kept following Aiva around because she was teaching her all the instructions and the order of how everything work here. She and Satasha have the roles of the apprentice, which meant that they are the closest ones to lady Ishtar were she take their consulting and give them tasks out of the temple as messengers or as representatives of her. They then went toward Ishtar's room in the afternoon. Aiva knocked the door and they entered after hearing the permission. Ishtar was sitting infront of the mirror brushing her hair.
Aiva and Satasha stopped in the middle of the room waiting for her to speak.
Ishtar " My dear girls! Did you two slept well?"
Both Satasha and Aiva " Yes my lady!"
Ishtar smiled warmly " Good! Today I want something from you Aiva to deliver to the southern tribe! It is on my desk a letter make sure to deliver it to the leader himself, trust no one and be careful!"
Aiva " Yes my lady! Anything else?"
Ishtar got up and walked toward them saying
" Yes ! Insist on his reply and comeback as soon as you get it!"
Aiva nodded , she went to the table got the stamped letter and then left the room.
Satasha looked at Ishtar waiting for her task.
Ishtar looked at her carefully and said" I saw your scars the other day! I will make the potion to heal them they will degenerate as if they had never existed! But until then you must go to the underground toward the room that is filled with mirrors! I had enchanted it long time ago so they can always reveal what was hidden ! Go there lock the door and try to control yourself!"
Satasha confusedly " How do I control myself? What will exactly happen there to me?"
Ishtar " The mirrors of truth will extract everything horrible that dwell in you especially the the connection between you and Zeus! This will hurt you very badly but you must control yourself! No matter how much he tries to summon you, you must resist do you understand?"
Satasha " I understand but for how long I must stay there and will these mirrors remind me of what have I forgotten?"
Ishtar " You can stay there until I show up! Only I can control you around here or have the ability to do so and yes these mirrors won't show you the whole memories that you had lost only few cuts here and there. Your lost memories is something you need to workout on your own it is beyond my ability to try and manipulate the curse!"
Satasha " Good! Thank you my lady!"
Ishtar warmly smiled and patted her shoulder saying " Good luck my child you need to stay strong! And it is okay to fail every now and then you are only a human!"
She caressed her hair gently and continued
" You can go now ! See you later!"
Satasha nodded and went out toward the room in the underground floor where the mirrors are.
She went down stairs to the first floor but she didn't know how to get to the ground floor. She saw one of the girls walking by and asked
" Excuse me!"
The girl turned and said " Yes dear?!"
Satasha politely " Do you know how to get to the underground floor?"
The girl looked confusedly at her and asked
"What business do you have there?"
Satasha " Well lady Ishtar told me to go to the room that is filled with mirrors for my training!"
The girl narrowed her eyes as if she was trying to read her then said " there is a door that leads to the ground floor it is next to the kitchen. When you descend the room that you are looking for is the second one on your left!"
Satasha politely " Thank you!"
She went as the girl instructed and reached to the second room on the left. She opened it with difficultly because the knob was rusty. Once she opened it she saw that the room was filled with mirrors even on the ceiling, they were old, dusty and dirty. The room lit on once she entered it, she looked around trying to see the source of the light but it just seemed like it came out behind these mirrors. She locked the door and went to the mirror that opposite it looking at her own reflection. She moved her head trying to examine her reflection not knowing what to do exactly. She kept looking into her reflection for a while something made her whole attention on it as if there is something attracting in it. She gazed in her eyes and saw something like an other person looking back at her. She came closer opened her eyes widely trying to get a better look but once she did she heard foot steps as if someone ran fast behind her. She turned around and saw nothing but her own reflection looking back at her, then she looked back at the mirror behind her and saw that her reflection was smiling evilly at her. She stepped back scared by what she is seeing. Her own reflection stretched her arms grabbing the mirror border and came out. Satasha stepped back looking at her own reflection had disappeared from all the mirrors and came out of it. She asked confusedly " Wha...What is this? Who are you?"
The reflection smiled and said " I am you ! The real you !"
Satasha gathered her courage and walked around her reflection examining it. After she saw that she looked exactly like her she began to be more curious than afraid she asked
" So you are like part of me that came out from the mirror or you are only my reflection?!"
The reflection " I am the both and what is in between! I can show you what lies in your head ! Show you your deepest desires and fears ! I can show you who you really are!"
Satasha looked hungry for knowledge at her reflection and said " Show me everything! I want to know everything! Everything!"
The reflection laughed evilly then disappeared.
Satasha looked around desperately " No! No! Where did you go ! Show me everything! Tell me who am I ?,what have I done?, and what had happened?! Please!"
She kept looking around trying to find her reflection but to no avail. She knelt down breathing heavily and feeling betrayed by her own reflection when she heard a whisper saying " Come closer !"
She got up immediately looked around trying to find the source , the whisper kept repeating until she think she knew the source. It was the mirror on her right, she went and stood closer.
The whisper " Closer!"
Satasha stepped closer until her nose touched the surface of the mirror.
The whisper came behind her as if there was an actual person whispering to her left ear saying
" I said closer!"
Satasha turned around immediately and saw her reflection grabbing her head. Satasha felt heat radiating from her head as if she it was on fire. She groaned agonized from the pain that she felt. She felt her self spinning and her surroundings was spinning so fast and the light grew stronger until everything turned white. She screamed out of agony and knelt because her body couldn't tolerate the pain. She opened her eyes widely and remembered her self killing Everyone from lady Tina to the first one and each time she stabbed or sliced someone she felt it pain ten times the actual one. She kept screaming agonized and crying asking for forgiveness and for the memories to stop but it kept going until she fell on the ground paralyzed with pain and sorrow and groaning agonized. She remembered everyone she had killed and how she felt when she did. It was horrific to see how she was. When the memories of the ones that she killed ended she kept laying crouching and sobbing feeling nothing but hatred, shame and sorrow for what she had done. Her reflection sat near her and said " You asked for it ! Don't blame me!"
Satasha looked at her reflection with her eyes filled with tears and said "I deserve this pain!"
Her reflection looking at her with pity said
" Yes you do ! You are a monster Satasha! You bring only death and sorrow for you and everyone else! That is who you are, a monster!"
Satasha looked angrily at her and said " Show me how I became one then ! Show me everything!"
Her reflection " No your body won't handle it!"
Satasha grabbed her reflection's arm and said
" Everything!"
Her reflection looked confusedly at her but after a minute of thinking and gazing into her eyes she snapped her fingers and they were in Olympus looking at younger Satasha being tortured by Hercules then Tatiana then Zeus. Satasha kept seeing how they tortured feeling the pain every time her younger self screamed. But she kept looking through the mirror that was placed infront of her torture chair.
Satasha tried to come out of the mirror to stop them from doing what they were doing but she couldn't.
The reflection " We are only reflection now! You cannot change what lies in your memories!"
Satasha tightened her fist and began to punch the surface trying to come out but she couldn't. She sobbed silently looking at herself being tortured by them.
Satasha angrily "They will pay for what they have done! I won't rest until I kill them!"
A man voice came behind her saying " But you already killed one!"
Satasha turned around and saw Zeus standing infront of her. Their surroundings turned into white again and they both looked at each other.
Satasha furiously " You sick monster!"
Zeus " I missed you too! You look awful!"
Satasha yelled angrily " YOU MADE ME KILL THE ONES WHO SAVED ME! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM ME ?!"
Zeus faked his smile and said " No ! No! I didn't order you to kill Tina and the lads! No darling it was Tatiana!"
Satasha angrily " Don't play games with me!"
Zeus coldly " I am not ! Trust me dear I won't gain anything from their deaths like I gained nothing from their life! I only order you to kill the ones who are threatening to me like Zeta or your brothers!"
Satasha looked confusedly at him, she wiped her tears and said " If I truly killed Hercules then why I am still alive? Isn't he included with the bond?"
Zeus stepped closer to her and said " That brat isn't included in anything! He had to die. Truly his existence is as invalid as his death!"
Satasha disgustedly " Isn't he your son?! How can you say that ?"
Zeus smiled and it didn't suite him said " No! He isn't my son! He is my grandson to be particular!"
Satasha " So it's true! You are Kronos!" These words came out from her mouth unconsciously without knowing she knew what she said.
Zeus giggled wickedly and said " Indeed! You wasted your time reading the scrolls! They are all bluffs nothing was written about this! Nothing by Hades only by me ! You see he made this mistake by not telling everyone that the one that he and Perseus killed was Zeus not me centuries ago and this what lead to his certain death and his wife for opposing me !"
Satasha curiously " If you killed them why are you so desperate for my powers? Aren't you the strongest? You outcome everyone! Why do you want my powers?"
Zeus " You are right you see! I am the strongest even if I hadn't cursed you with the bond I couldn't eliminate you if we fought because your powers some how equals mine! But what I want isn't this powers! You see they named you the chosen one for a reason! It isn't because your powers are superior but you can change fate! To be more specific you can control time by diverting it and preventing things from happening! I cannot do that no one can, only you have this ability! They thought and me included that Pandora had it but she didn't actually! What you got in the lake was not her powers nor Hades's but their knowledge which I erased it. It isn't this important. They are only guidance for you nothing else nothing more!"
Satasha trying to process " So you mean I am as stronger as you are and have the ability to control time that is why you cursed me to be your puppet and made me kill people?"
Zeus happily " Exactly!"
Satasha curiously " But if you are strong enough to kill everyone why do you need the power to control time?, I mean you can rule the world easily without it why do you need it?"
Zeus " So I can live for ever that is why"
Satasha looked confusedly at him and asked
" Are you dying?"
Zeus smirked and said " With your existence yes I am !"
Satasha was so confused to ask why she just kept staring at him confusedly with her eyes being narrowed and her brows are attached.
Zeus was amused by her confusion and said
" If you want to know more come back to me so I can tell you!"
Satasha firmly " No! I will never go back to you!"
Zeus smirked evilly "We'll see about that!"
He disappeared leaving Satasha in the white looking around. Suddenly she heard his whisper loud and clear telling her to comeback.
Her body began trembling out of fear and pain. She knelt down covered her ears trying to resist his summons with all she could. It was very painful to resist as if she was being skinned alive or chopped with unsharp knife. She was crouching anguished with pain trying to restrain her body from obeying. She stayed like that for half hour screaming of pain till she obeyed it. She got up trying to leave the room by making a port gate or unlocking the door but she couldn't. She punched, pushed and banged her surroundings trying to escape but she couldn't. She yelled angrily at the door and mirrors running fast and hit them but to no avail. She kept trying to escape for hours till she regained control on herself again.
Satasha's legs were trembling and her whole body was aching. She was panting and exhausted looked at her reflection and said
" That is enough! I won't let you win Kronos, mind my word!"
She fell paralyzed feelings dizzy and light headed breathing heavily trying to control her pain till her chest ached and her breaths became slow to none. She closed her eyes and lost her consciousness.
She felt like she was floating into darkness hearing nothing but the screams and her victim's last words echoing through the dark.
She was falling into the abyss of her deeds into this no bottom hole she was falling slowly. Suddenly her falling began to speed up feeling like she will meet the bottom at last but before she reached it she heard Tina's words loud and clear " Protect my son!"
Satasha woke up gasping under the water of the tub. She got out panting and coughing the water out. After she regained her consciousness she looked around and saw that she was in the bathroom and few steps away from her was Ishtar sitting on the chair with other girl wearing white apron on her neck and head with long pink shirt and brown baggy long pants caught in at the ankles.
Ishtar " Good my dear, you woke up. How do you feel?!"
Satasha trying to catch her breaths " Terrible!"
And indeed she felt like that.
Ishtar looked worried at her and spoke to the girl " Bring something to make her feel eased "
The girl went out of the bathroom. Satasha sat in the tub and noticed that she was wearing nothing.
Satasha uncomfortably asked " Why am I naked?"
Ishtar smiled warmly and said " Look at your body!"
Satasha looked at it and saw that her scars all of them had vanished. She touched her skin trying to feel them but they were no longer there.
She exclaimed " How?!"
Ishtar proudly " It is something I had invented long time ago when I used to go to wars and come back heavily wounded. What you are soaked in is a healing potion it healed almost all your scars except the on on your chest it only limited it to what you can see!"
Satasha looked at the scar that was in her chest and saw it extended shortly in her cleavage.
Satasha sadly " Good so I can never forget the horrors that I had done to the people I loved!"
She sensed the scar feeling pain in her heart and remembering Tina's words. She looked at Ishtar and said gratefully " Thank you! Truly"
Ishtar smiled warmly and said " It is nothing! I did that for all the girls here! You aren't the first one to come here with scars you only the first with many ones!"
Satasha laughed but it was too painful for her.
She asked awkwardly " Can I get out of this or I have to stay abit?"
Ishtar " Oh, you can out whenever you want!"
She pointed at the robe that was hanging near the tub and said " After you finish washing the potion of you wear this and go to your room. You must get some rest so you can start fresh, I will tell Gulana to put your the medicine in your room. Good night my child!"
Satasha warmly " Good night my lady!"
After Ishtar left Satasha washed out the potion from her, wore her robe then went toward her room to rest. It was so difficult to walk after the pain she felt but she kept going till she reached her room. She opened the door drank the glass that was on the mirror table, dried her hair and then threw herself on the bed. She looked at the ceiling for few minutes then fell asleep at once.
She slept peacefully with no nightmares to disturb her and woke up at the sound of the bell ringing. She got up washed her face and teeth, got dressed and then went out to the kitchen were she ate her breakfast. She was perfectly fine all day until she heard someone whispering in her ear " Kill them all!"
Satasha looked horrified at everyone trying to see if someone heard the whisper. She got up and walked fast out of the kitchen toward the garden trying to get some fresh air.
Once she arrived there she took a deep breath then let it out over and over again trying to resist and divert her attention from the whisper.
She kept doing that until she no longer heard it. She smiled proudly and turned back so she can walk toward the kitchen. She stepped forward and stopped looking horrified at the person who was infront of her.
Satasha confusedly " Impossible ! Who are you?"
The girl smiled and said " Darling I am you!"
Satasha looked horrified at the girl who looked just like her but soaked with blood as if she bathed in it.
Satasha trying to show strength " Why are you here ? Why aren't you back in the mirror?"
The girl " No dear I am not a mirror reflection! I am the one that you fear the most! Isn't that what you've wanted to see yesterday?"
She walked closer to Satasha and said evilly
" I am what you afraid to be. The monster you ment to be. The next Kronos!"
Satasha denyingly " No, I will never be like him. Never!"
The girl smiled wickedly " We shall see!"
She pushed Satasha hard that she fell.
Satasha fell on pile of dead bodies soaked in blood and holding Ishtar's dead body in her arms. She screamed and the whole temple fell apart on her.
Satasha gasped and woke up feeling that her bones was smashed by a big blocks on the sound of the bell ringing. She looked around and saw that she was only dreaming.
Satasha sat on the bed crying silently so no one can hear her.
She spent the next days normally. She only visited the mirrors room once a week and it was enough for her.
After two months Satasha became better at controlling herself, even though it hurt her physically and mentally and ripped her soul out but she kept going back there fearing that if she lost control again she will kill everyone.
Few weeks passed and Ishtar started to depend on Satasha to do tasks for her. She took the small ones and gradually reached to the hardest.
One night in the middle of autumn Ishtar summoned her to her room. Satasha went there and stood infront of her. Ishtar was walking worryingly here and there holding a letter. Once she saw Satasha she said
" Oh you are here, great !"
Satasha " Is there anything you want from me my lady?!"
Ishtar " Yes!, And I fear it won't be an easy one!"
Satasha " For you my lady it can be easy!"
Ishtar worryingly " No, Not like that. I've just received a bad news and I hope it is not true! "
Satasha worryingly " what is the bad news?"
Ishtar " There is someone who saw a fleet of ships preparing for a war. It said that the ships is the western tribe ships and they want to attack the others trying to control over!"
Satasha " So you want me to go and see if this is true?"
Ishtar " No, I know it is true, I trust my sources he can never lie to me. It is the others that I fear that they won't believe!"
Satasha " So you want me to collect evidence?!"
Ishtar " Yes and witness! Two witnesses that everyone take their words seriously!"
Satasha confusedly " How can I convince them?"
Ishtar " You have to show them with their own eyes. It said that the fleet will rest in Rome before doing its next move. You have to collect enough evidence show the fleet to these two and bring them here once they believe you. Do you think you can manage to do that?"
Satasha thought for a minute trying to calculate her plan the answered "Yes, But who are the witnesses? And where I can find them?"
Ishtar " They are the philanderer brothers. My sources told me that they are in the eastern borders specifically in the priest of eden capital! Do you know where it is?"
Satasha nodded and said " How much time do I have got before the fleet arrive at the port?"
Ishtar " Five days!"
Satasha confidently " Give me six days if I had not returned it means that I failed!"
Ishtar comfortingly " You won't. I believe in you!"
Satasha " Then I leave tonight if you allow me to!"
Ishtar " You have my permission but please be careful. Don't come back with wounds and stay alive!"
Satasha smiled brightly and said " You have my word!"
Ishtar hugged Satasha warmly and said
" Good luck and see you soon!"
She stopped hugging her and caressed her hair " Stay strong and as you were taught, have control!"
Satasha smiled warmly and said " I will!"
Ishtar " You May leave my child!"
Satasha nodded and said before she went off
" See you soon"